Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu has urged his players to be resilient in their Round of 16 clash against Croatia today at the Al Janoub Stadium, while defender Yuto Nagatomo has called on his teammates to be courageous, adopting the samurai principles.
“If we were to use the analogy of the samurai: before they go to battle, they polish their weapons, they try to improve their techniques. But if they are scared during the battle, they will be unable to use their weapons and technique. It’s exactly the same in football,” said Nagatomo, who now plays for FC Tokyo.
Japan aim to reach the quarter-finals for the first time, having exited three times in the last 16. In Qatar, the Samurai Blue have shown courage and a never-say-die approach with stunning victories over Germany and Spain in Group E.
“The players showed their ability against Germany and Spain. They were united as a team and dug in and fought until the end,” Moriyasu said.
“They have proved that when they play like that, it brings results. We have a long history of participating in the World Cup. We have had a lot of experience, and we are going to use all the lessons that we have learned to play the match tomorrow (today), all the things that we have done as a football nation,” he added.
Japan and Croatia have met twice before at the FIFA World Cup, but this is their first knockout encounter. They played each other in the group stage of France ’98 – both nations’ finals debut – where Croatia prevailed 1-0 thanks to a Davor Suker goal. They also met eight years later in Germany, drawing 0-0.
“Of course, it’s important to think about our opponents, but first of all, I want our players to show what they can do,” Moriyasu added.
“We will aim to win, but at the same time, I can say we have a lot of respect for the Croatia team,” he said.
“My impression is that they are very clever as a team. They can adapt to different kinds of play. They are tenacious, and a very dogged team, and I’m sure it’s going to be a very difficult game for us.”
Japan will be without suspended defender Ko Itakura, who picked up his second yellow card of the tournament in the 2-1 win over Spain. Takefusa Kubo should be available despite missing training on Saturday due to illness.
Croatia’s coach Zlatko Dalic talks to his players during a training session yesterday. AFP
Football force, small nation
For Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic, who led his side to their first World Cup final four years ago in Russia, the country has been a football force and have performed miraculously well in international football.
“The population of Croatia is 4 million, and the results we have achieved on the world stage are miraculous,” said Dalic.
“We are continually present in tournaments and World Cups, which is a great success. We have become a world football force.”
Dalic added his team would not underestimate Japan, a side that have had the least possession of the ball but have enjoyed enviable success so far. He lauded Japan’s transition play calling them the “most persevering, persistent opponent”.
“They simply do not give up. We have a similar mentality, Japan and Croatia. We stand on equal ground.
“They will apply the samurai warrior philosophy. So will we. If we want to go further, we must apply that same attitude, do our best and never underestimate anyone,” Dalic told reporters.
Speaking on mercurial midfielder Luka Modric, Dalic said this wouldn’t be the 37-year-old’s swansong for the national team, with him still in great shape.
“I cannot compliment him enough on his performance. This will not be the last tournament he will play for Croatia. His professionalism, good shape, training, and working on self-improvement is unprecedented,” he said.
When: Today at 6:00pm
Where: Al Janoub Stadium (Capacity: 44,325)
Key stats:
* Croatia are undefeated in nine of their last 10 World Cup matches, their only loss in that run coming in the 2018 final against France when they were beaten 4-2. They finished runners-up in Group F in Qatar with five points from their three games.
* Japan were winners of Group E with six points from a possible nine, having beaten Spain and Germany but surprisingly lost to Costa Rica. They have never been past the last 16 of World Cup after falling at this hurdle in 2002, 2010 and 2018.
* Croatia have never lost in the last 16. They beat Romania 1-0 in 1998 and Denmark on penalties after a 1-1 draw four years ago in their two previous visits to this stage of the tournament.
* Japan will be without centre-back Kou Itakura, who is suspended having picked up two yellow cards in the group stage. He is one of three players who has featured in every minute of the campaign so far for them.
Previous meetings:
Japan have played Croatia three times since 1997, two of those at the World Cup. The Asian side won a friendly clash 4-3 in their first meeting, but Croatia claimed a 1-0 group stage success at the 1998 World Cup when Davor Suker scored the only goal. They also played to a 0-0 draw in the first round at the 2006 tournament in Germany.
